Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-04-12
The INOlAN hAD,s PLUCK.
A Tale of Rarely UnseIfish HerOism
From Far-Of Alaska.
from Che NeD York World.


SAN FRANCISCO, April 2.-Alaska
mails just received here give the story OF
an &C: of heroism on the part of an In
dian lad which has perhaps hardly par
allel for self-sacrifciDg bravery and en-
durance. The Indians Of the interior
(Chilkats), although somewhat debased
by contact with the whites, are Of much
higher grade OF Intelligence and cbar2c-
ter than the EsquimauX OF the coast.
This boy. only Is years old, was selected
by Tom Williams, the regular messenger
from the camps about the Stewart river,
some 400 miles inland, to accompany him
to juneau.
The Stewart river debouches into the
Great Yukon just where the Rocky
mountain range has its beginning. Will
liams and the lad started with team OF
two dogs and sled for Juneau about the
middle OF February. They followed up
tue course of the Yukon past Fort Sell
Kirk and along Lewis river without incl
dent until they reached Lake Lebarge,
100 miles from their starting point. Here
one of the dogs gave out and the other
died on reaching the top OF the range be-
tween Lake Lebarge and the coast. They
then had TO drag the sled themselves with
their effects. 4 few days further on they
We're cVertaken by u severe snow storm.
They were ut a very high altitude and the
cold was intense. But they struggled
ON braVely, and finally in bait-fr0zeu
condition reached what Is known as "tbe
stone house," which ID nothing more than
two large bOulders three miles below the
summit OF the range. Here they built
themselves a snow house and subsisted
for five days without fire and ioOd except
q little dry -four. The white man was
badly frozen, and what with the sudden
change from the intense cold outside to
the warmth of the snow hut, he con-
tracted PNEUMONIA end was unable to
help himself IN the least.
OF course il would have been easy for
the lad, abandoning his companion, TO
make his way back to his people, but it
appears that re stood maulully by Will
Trans, nursing him until, alter six days,
be was able 70 continue nis journey. On
this slxtn day tie nali-iamlsned travellers
emerged IRON thcr bnON-bOuse, leaving
all their effects within, and started tor
Chilkoot. Williams nGd gone but short
distance when he gave out and fell down
again in tue snow 10 die. The heroic boy
then took the white man on his back and
resumed his lonely journey. The sG0w
lay about two feet deep upon the ground,
the storm was raging iuriously and the
cold was bitter, so that the lad, with the
human burden on his back, was FIVE days
making distance o! twelve miles. Then
he was found by some Chilkat Indians, a
sled was constructed and By their united
efforts Williams was brought as far AS
''Healys Store" where be died a few
hours later. For twelve days Williams
and the lad were without lire or food.
From Healy's the Indian boy was
brought down TO juneau on the steamer
Yukon. &c was badly frozen by the ter
rible exposure he suffered, and one OF his
toes had to be amputated, but he had 80
far recovered within few days OF his
arrival at juneau that he exhibited the
llveliest interest In the many new and
strange things that be saw in the settle
ment. IL was the first time he had ever
been to the coast or had ever seen white
men In any numbers. lie had never seen
horse, and, according TO the Alaska
Free Press, OF Juneau, he ''gazed with
undIsguised awe upon jimmy Shakes
coal cart and borse." The Free Press
adds that "when be passed Cato, our coll
orod tinsmith, on the street, he stopped.
looked at him, ana then remarked: That
man must have been badly frozen 70 come
out so blaok.'p
The good people OF juneau also mani
tested great interest Ia the plucky boy,
aud surroub dod him with every comfort.
Ile was ~ stay there until the warm
weather, aud Will then return 20 his homo
on the Yukon, doubtless 10 be great
man hereafter with his people "for tho
strange countries he has seen"